1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to deuterium isotope separation and enrichment and more particularly to deuterium isotope separation and enrichment using infrared laser technology in combination with chemical processes for treating and recycling the unreacted and deuterium depleted starting materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Deuterium occurs in nature to the extent of about 0.014%. Presently, multi-stage equilibrium partition methods are employed to concentrate the naturally occurring deuterium. Such methods involve bulky equipment and large materials handling problems because of low enrichment factors per stage. Therefore, there is low throughput and long time periods involved in order to attain steady state equilibrium conditions.
Prior art systems using counter-current extraction and exchanges are well-known and the principles thereof are described in Kirk-Othmer, "Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology"- 2nd edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York, Vol. 8 - Chapter on "Extraction", E. G. Scheibel (1965) and Vol. 13 - Chapter on "Mass Transfer", A. H. P. Skelland (1967).
Also, the following references describe some of the presently known isotope separation techniques. William Spindel, "Isotope Separation Processes", A.C.S. Symposium Series, 11, "Isotope and Chemical Principles", Page 77, Am. Chem. Soc. (1957), Washington, D.C. (including references contained therein e.g., F. T. Barr and W. P. Drews, Chem. Eng. Progress, 56, 49 (1960); and P. B. Lumb, Nucl. Eng. Int., Page 64 (June, 1976)).
Laser technology has been recently used for producing isotopically selective chemical reactions and isotope separation. Developments in laser technology have demonstrated the use of tuned, infrared lasers to "pump up" the internal energy of a specified molecule to the point where it can decompose. For example, various laser techiques involving separation of isotopes are described in "Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Laser Isotope Separation" by J. P. Aldridge, et al, prepared by The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LA-UR-75-2368) and "Isotopically Selective Photochemistry" by R. V. Ambartzumian and V. S. Letokhov published in the July, 1975 edition of Laser Focus. However, none of the techniques known to the inventor involve the presently invented method for deuterium isotope enrichment using intense tuned infrared laser technology to selectively dissociate a specific class of organic molecules having a high normal abundance of deuterium, to separate the deuterium enriched molecular species from the depleted molecular species (without any need for radical scavengers) and to treat the depleted molecular material with an inexpensive material, such as water, to replenish the deuterium content for recycling purposes.